BUCK Richard

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NAME Richard BUCKName variations: None encountered.
Birth Date and Place26 Jan 1820 Honingham, Norfolk, England [Tinstaafl Transcripts Norfolk].
Baptism Date and Place3 Feb 1820 Honingham, Norfolk [Honingham Baptismal Register].
Marriage Date and Place1st: 27 May 1852 Church of Saint George [not verified], Perth, Western Australia
[WABDM Reg.#427].
2nd: 16 May 1859 St Patrick’s Church (RC), Adelaide, South Australia
[SABDM Reg.#38/169].
3rd: 29 May 1889 St George’s Cathedral [not verified], Perth, Western Australia
[WABDM Reg.#151].
Spouse1st: Mary Ann GORDON (d.1857 SA).
2nd: Mary OBYRNE/O’BYRNE (d.1881 WA).
3rd: Sarah FARMER – widow of Mr. Roberts (d.1892 WA).
Children1st Marriage: Richard George b.1853 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#2028].
William Henry and/or Henry Richard b.1855, d.1856 Perth, Western Australia [Reg.#2960 & WASRO Acc. 6809A/2].*
Elizabeth Martha b.1857 (d.1857) Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#3712].
2nd Marriage: Emily b.1860 Stockade, Adelaide, South Australia [SABDM Reg.#15/288].
Ellen Lydia b.1861 Stockade, Adelaide, South Australia [SABDM Reg.#20/198].
Mary Ann b.1863 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#6997].
Alice Jane b.1865 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#8347].
Robert John b.1867 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#9976].
Thomas b.1869 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#11955].
James b.1871 (d.1872) Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#13508].
Martha b.1874 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#15445].
Alfred Henry b.1876 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#17817].
OccupationsConvict Guard 1840/41 [WO12-9612-299].
Constable WA Police 1851-1857 [BENT].
Warder, Yatala Labour Prison, Dry Creek, South Australia 1859-1862 [BISA].
Constable WA Police 1862; Corporal Jan 1874; Sergeant Sep 1874. Retired 1 Jul 1878 [CONOLE] .
Governor’s Coachman 1883-1889 [CONOLE].
Land Acquisition in WA
Death Date and Place4 Feb 1905 442 Beaufort Street, Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.#1784].
Cause of Death: Senile Decay.
Burial Date and Place6 Feb 1905 East Perth Cemetery, Western Australia [EPCEM].
Church of England Section.
Death, Funeral, Obituary NoticesWest Australian 6 Feb 1905 [TROVE].
Daily News 6 Feb 1905 [TROVE].
Will and ProbateWill: 22 Oct 1903. Probate: 23 Feb 1905, Supreme Court of Western Australia.
[WASRO Cons. 3403-1905-030].
BRITISH ARMY
Regiment96th Regiment of Foot.
Soldier No. and Rank#1407 Private.
Enlistment Date and Place5 Oct 1839 Norwich, Norfolk [WO12-9611-127].
Age 18 years. Bounty paid to recruit £3 5s. 0d.  First Muster 29 Oct 1839 District Recruitment Office.
Physical DescriptionHeight:  5 ft. 5 ins. [WO12-9611-127].
Medals, Clasps and BadgesGood Conduct Badge 1d. per diem from 3 Apr 1847 [WO12-9622].
Arrival Van Diemen’s Land: Ship and DateHindostan.
Dep. 7 Oct 1840 Sheerness. Arr. 19 Jan 1841 Hobart (disembarked 30 Jan 1841) [WO12-9612-299].
Arrival South Australia: Ship and DateEudora 15 Oct 1841 from Hobart, VDL dep. 5 Oct 1841 [WO12-9613-195].
Arrival Western Australia: Ship and DateJava 24 Feb 1847 from Hobart, embarked 27 Jan 1847 [WO12-9620-334].
Military Postings within Western AustraliaPerth HQ 24 Feb to 31 Mar 1847 [WO12-9620-324].
On Command 1-30 Apr 1847 [WO12-9622-10].
Perth HQ 1 May to 30 Jun 1847 [WO12-9622-10].
On Guard or Perth HQ 1 Jul to 31 Oct 1847 [WO12-9622-35&56].
Rottnest 1 Nov 1847 to 31 Aug 1848 [WO12-9622-56/82/113/143].
On Command 1 Sep 1848 to 31 Jan 1849 [WO12-9622-143/171/199].**
Perth HQ 1-27 Apr 1849 [deduced as WO12-9624 Musters are not extant in WA].
Courts Martial in Western AustraliaNone.
Discharge Date and Place

14 May 1849 Perth, Western Australia – Conditional [WO28-266-102].
15 Feb 1851 Horse Guards, Westminster, London.
1 Jul 1851 Commandant, Perth, Western Australia.
Purchased Discharge for £4 0s. 0d. [WO28-266-132].

Age at Discharge31 years [WO28-266-102].
Length of Service9 years 237 days [WO28-266-102].
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Daily News 6 Feb 1905

* William Henry and/or Henry Richard are anomalous in various sources.  William H. has a birth registration but no record of death, while Henry R. has no birth registration but has a burial recorded. As the birth and burial dates are 1855/1856 respectively, we can probably assume it is the same child or twins.

** During this period, the WA Surveyor General John Septimus Roe recruited Private Buck to be one of five men to accompany him on his last exploration expedition [Conole]. This experience would have stood Richard Buck in good stead when he accompanied Robert Austin into the Murchison (see sidebar).

Mollie Bentley’s book Grandfather was a Policeman: The Western Australia Police Force 1829-1889, Hesperian Press 1993 is a wonderful resource for researching police officers in Western Australia – Richard Buck was no exception.  For a more detailed account of Richard Buck’s long and interesting life click here.